Putin to Address U.N. General Assembly

On September 28, a familiar but long absent figure was in attendance at the U.N. General Assembly to give a speech following a ten year hiatus. Vladimir Putin’s actions and words are certain to attract attention to the event due to Russia’s standing as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, but perhaps more notably due to Russia’s centrality in foreign policy debates over the last year. President Putin and President Obama are expected to meet the same day. While the United States and the Western world have generally sought to push back against Russia via sanctions over purported military adventurism in Ukraine and Crimea, it seems as though recent events have brought Russia back into the fold. The country’s recent foray into Syria with the construction of an air base in Latakia, the airlift of military supplies, and the placement of air defense systems in the area have elevated the risk of unintended conflict with local NATO military operations.

It remains unclear whether Russian military operations in Syria are intended to complicate Western foreign policy in the region and as a result increase Russian diplomatic leverage, which has been slipping as of late due to the falling Ruble, oil prices, and lukewarm market responses to natural asset sales in Siberia and the Far East.